President-elect Barack Obama has pledged to greatly expand President Bush’s faith-based initiative program. He may would to consider a recent lawsuit where the Catholic church is accused of receiving a federal funding to assist sex trafficking victims but allowed to decline to provide contraceptive material or abortion services.
Under the $6 million contract, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contracted with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to provide services to trafficking victims but also allowed the Church to prohibit subcontractors providing services from providing “referral for abortion services or contraceptive materials.”
This is the dilemma of subsidizing religious organizations in the supply of social programs. The Bush administration has given billions to such organizations and the Obama administration has promised to multiply that effort.
For the full story, click here.
I have spoken out against faith-based initiatives since they were first proposed — for EXACTLY this reason. This particular case is an excellent one for the ACLU to move on. These victims may be prevented from their own free choices due to restrictions applied by the Church. This is not an appropriate use of tax dollars. While I voted for PE Obama, I differ sharply with him on this issue and I hope a court ruling will rein in this practice.
I agree that the Faith Based programs started by George W. are a bad idea and are not where our tax money should be spent. I think this example is listed in the dictionary under the word, Hypocrisy.
I was thinking about starting my own church already and I think we could pick up the slack that the Catholics are leaving since my religion doesn’t have any proscriptions (badum-chi) against sexual activity… or sectual activity for that matter. hmm. I wonder if there’s a relation?
This is faith based AIDS and pregnancy prevention, particuarly ironic in the context of human, often sexual trafficking. It should not receive federal funding. Everyone above has made excellent points about why this whole idea is not a good one, nor is it Constitutional.